A SICK paedophile who travelled 150 miles to have sex with a child, arriving with a bag of condoms has been jailed after being snared by a group of vigilantes.

Police arrested Robert Crombie who arrived in Newcastle for sex with a child

Robert Crombie thought he was meeting a 14-year-old schoolgirl after sending her explicit messages and begging her for pictures of herself.

He arrived to the meeting point but the 26-year-old was instead greeted by members of Dark Justice, who had already alerted the police.

He travelled from Glasgow to Newcastle to get his hands on the girl, who had actually been invented by the group.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told Newcastle Crown Court: "He was arrested as a result of the actions of voluntary group Dark Justice, who seek to expose grooming of young people on the internet, through social media, with profiles purporting to be teenage girls."

Crombie, of Clyde Place, Glasgow, initially told police the illicit messages, and a picture of his erect penis, must have been sent to the girl by someone else but he later admitted attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming.

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Robert Crombie was jailed after being snared by Dark Justice

You were found to be in possession of condoms, clearly indicating what your intention was, had Amy the 14-year-old actually existed

Judge Robert Adams

Judge Robert Adams jailed him for 12 months and imposed a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Crombie, who appeared to be in tears as the prison sentence was passed, must sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

?Judge Adams told him: "You were found to be in possession of condoms, clearly indicating what your intention was, had Amy the 14-year-old actually existed.

"In this case, it is clear your intention was to have penetrative sexual intercourse with someone you believed was 14."

Crombie was drawn to the girl's account on social media in March 2015 before they bgan messaging on the Whatsapp app.

He bombarded the girl with pictures of his face and body, including his penis.

He also told her he was three years younger than his true age.

Dark Justice

Robert Crombie came for sex with a child but was arrested by police in Newcastle

The court heard Crombie agreed to travel from Scotland to see the girl in Newcastle on May 25 after asking her for pictures of her in a uniform, a thong and naked.

At the time of his arrest, Crombie was on a suspended prison sentence imposed by Cambridgeshire Magistrates for theft of a former girlfriend's mobile phone.

He has a previous conviction for making a false representation in relation to him obtaining £5,000 from the same woman's late grandmother's bank account.

Kieran O'Neill, defending, said Crombie suffers from learning difficulties, left school without qualifications and was vulnerable, living in a homeless hostel at time.

Mr O'Neill said his client was 'greatly' remorseful, adding: "He was a loner who had access to a computer.

"He had condoms with him, he was going to meet her. Whether or not he would have gone through with the offence, we will never know."